shear off
phrasal verb
sheared off; sheared off or shorn off; shearing off; shears off
1
: to become separated suddenly because of great force
The excess weight caused the bolt to shear off.
2
: to remove (something) with great force
The impact of the crash sheared off the airplane's wing.
Examples of shear off in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Each passing year, as storms strike North Texas, forceful gusts would shear off branches and topple trees.
—
Ella Gonzales, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 8 Mar. 2024
The plane hit the mountain, and the impact sheared off both wings and the plane's tail.
—USA TODAY, 9 Jan. 2024
The docks broke free during heavy winds Sunday and started moving down Taylor Slough in this far eastern Contra Costa community, shearing off parts of private docks along the way.
—Judith Prieve, The Mercury News, 6 Feb. 2024
Claudel sheared off the head and arms and one knee, leaving the feet planted on the ground to support the woman’s body, a choice that emphasizes the agonized curve of her back, with its perfectly articulated spine.
—Farah Peterson, The Atlantic, 14 Dec. 2023
Staff discovered that an underground pipe had sheared off inside the concrete surface of the splash pad, and needs to be dug up and replaced, the post says.
—Mike Danahey, Chicago Tribune, 31 Aug. 2023
The groundhog simply tunneled under the fence and sheared off what was left of the radish stems, emerging bean sprouts, and parsnip greens.
—BostonGlobe.com, 3 May 2023
Several news outlets showed video of a light blue Ferrari 812 Superfast with one of its wheels and side bumpers sheared off.
—Benjamin Oreskes, Los Angeles Times, 3 Dec. 2023
One the vehicles sheared off a fire hydrant in the crash, the fire department reported.
—Jenny Gold, Los Angeles Times, 4 Nov. 2023
Ella Gonzales, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 8 Mar. 2024
The plane hit the mountain, and the impact sheared off both wings and the plane's tail.
—USA TODAY, 9 Jan. 2024
The docks broke free during heavy winds Sunday and started moving down Taylor Slough in this far eastern Contra Costa community, shearing off parts of private docks along the way.
—Judith Prieve, The Mercury News, 6 Feb. 2024
Claudel sheared off the head and arms and one knee, leaving the feet planted on the ground to support the woman’s body, a choice that emphasizes the agonized curve of her back, with its perfectly articulated spine.
—Farah Peterson, The Atlantic, 14 Dec. 2023
Staff discovered that an underground pipe had sheared off inside the concrete surface of the splash pad, and needs to be dug up and replaced, the post says.
—Mike Danahey, Chicago Tribune, 31 Aug. 2023
The groundhog simply tunneled under the fence and sheared off what was left of the radish stems, emerging bean sprouts, and parsnip greens.
—BostonGlobe.com, 3 May 2023
Several news outlets showed video of a light blue Ferrari 812 Superfast with one of its wheels and side bumpers sheared off.
—Benjamin Oreskes, Los Angeles Times, 3 Dec. 2023
One the vehicles sheared off a fire hydrant in the crash, the fire department reported.
—Jenny Gold, Los Angeles Times, 4 Nov. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'shear off.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near shear off
Cite this Entry
“Shear off.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shear%20off. Accessed 27 Apr. 2024.
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